


To Chase A Dream

by Blue_moon22



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn), F/F, Gay, I Don't Even Know, LGBTQ Character, Lesbian Character, M/M, Multi, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24165562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_moon22/pseuds/Blue_moon22
Summary: Lorea is unlike most Nora. Instead of avoiding all things connected to the Old Ones she seeks them out. She explores ruin after ruin, tumbles into life threatening situations on the regular, yet her drive for knowledge never lessens. Which will land her in some interesting situations.
Relationships: Aloy/Original female character, varl/original male character
Kudos: 16





	1. a worried brother

A cloud of air escapes her lips as the teenager blows on her numb fingers and rubs her hands together. It does nothing against the air biting at her skin, but she has the right idea. Cursing her luck she stumbles through the knee high snow, hating the feeling of her cold wet trousers sticking to her skin. All she can see is the forest below the white tipped mountains and the rapidly darkening sky. She has no idea where she is. The situation being that the ruin shut her out the second she stepped outside.

The orb that hangs of her belt beeps and clicks, talking to her in his own strange language.

Immediately the teenager's muscles tense up. She scans her surroundings, whipping her head from left to right and turning on her heels. Her heart hammers in her chest and her hands ball into fists.

"Orby, where are they?" She asks the orb that warned her in the first place.

A series of hums and clicks is his answer.

She immediately springs into action and starts to run down the hill while looking for a place to hide. "Why can't I go a week without encountering those blasted machines," she mutters while crouching behind a rock. She stays as still as possible, forcing her shivering to stop and focuses her hearing on the clicking and whirring of the approaching machines.

Orby beeps a warning.

"Yes, of course I'm aware that the Scrappers are approaching," Lorea whispers back. Refraining from putting the Orb in silent mode. "But as long as we stay still they won't notice us, so shush."

The pack of machines pass by. They scan the area but don't find anything worth investigating. When the explorer is sure they're gone she exhales a sigh of relief and continues her way home, or where she thinks that is.

The teenager wraps her arms around herself. "You know Orbs, I think we should pack some warmer clothes next time," she blows into her hands again. "You're so lucky that the cold doesn't bother you."

The orb replies but it is drowned out by a voice yelling her name. "Oh, no," Lorea mutters, eyes widening. She frantically looks around, begging for a way to distract the furious Nora storming her way.

Then he's standing before her. A head taller than her so she has to crane her neck to look him in the eyes. His brows are creased and arms crossed over his chest. She gulps and prepares for her demise. This is it. Not a death caused by a collapsing ruin. No, she dies at the hands of her older brother.

"Flek, my dearest brother what am I glad to see you! How was your day?" She smiles the brightest smile she can manage.

His frown doesn't falter. "We'll talk about this at home," he says, voice calm and devoid of emotion.

Lorea shivers he's scary when he's full out screaming, but it's worse when he's eerie calm. Her brother sees her shivering and hands her his warm hide. She wraps the large piece of clothing around her shoulders and follows him, her eyes pinned to his back.

~

"What if you got caught, huh? Then you'll be cast out and I would have to deal with mother and father alone! Do you understand how dangerous it is what you're doing? Everyone gets caught, it's only a matter of time before-"

He continues scolding her using his hands to prove his point, but Lorea is zoning out. It's always the same speech and she's sick of it. They both know she'll go out there again, probably first thing tomorrow. It's sweet to know he cares, but she can't help herself. She needs to know. She has to go out there and discover the secrets those ruins hold. She knows there are many and she's so close to cracking them.

Flek stops when Mother's Heart is in sight, but his sibling doesn't notice and walks right into him. "Lorea?" He turns to her and notices her faraway look. "And of course you're not listening to me!" Flek let's a frustrated scream in his hands before coming back up and exhaling loudly. "Fine, you know what? If you want to be outside so bad you can stay out tonight!" With that he storms off to Mother's Heart, leaving a baffled Lorea behind.

After a few heartbeats she huffs. "Fine, then I'll stay outside why would I care." With that she turns her back on her home and walks off, without a single glance back. Away from the warm inviting lights and cheerful voices.

The sun is inching its way down the sky, making the shadows long and the temperature drop to a dangerous level. Machines walk in the distance, their lights glowing ominously in the dusk lighting. Lorea considers her options and the time she has left before she will freeze to death. Even with Flek's warm hide she won't stay warm for long. How short that time is, she doesn't know.

"Orbs, how long do you figure I'll last in this weather?"

He answers softly not liking the odds.

The teenager sighs, shoulders sagging. "That short huh?"

Without any other options she keeps walking. The sun dips behind the horizon making the land even more difficult to navigate. Luckily for Lorea, Orby exists and he has many handy functions. One of which is his ability to glow. The faint blue light emits from the grooves in his metal casing. It makes the shadows seem large and imposing, but at least Lorea can see where she's going.

The mechanical groans in the distance has the explorer on edge. She keeps tabs on her surroundings, her eyes constantly darting from one place to another. The lights that were so distant are a lot closer now. She lets out a nervous chuckle. "We're close to our cave, right?"

A confirming hum is all she needs to hear. With determination and a light to guide her way, it's not as bad. She just hopes she's there very very soon.

A while later rushing water can be heard, the clattering sound a sign that she's almost there. She picks up the pace and walks over the bridge. A waterfall clatters down the side of a mountain creating a river below, with a sturdy tree next to it. High up hidden away from the world by the branches is her cave.

The explorer shakes her limbs and starts the climb. It proves to be more difficult at night and while being very very cold. Her fingertips burn from the cold and the contact with the freezing stone doesn't make it better. When she finally reaches the top she's breathing hard and sweating. She gathers a bit of dry wood she stashed there a while ago and lit a fire. She huddles as close to it as possible, soaking up the heat.

Now not having to worry about freezing to death she begins to think about her brother. He does worry quite easily and she doesn't make that any better by going down in forbidden ruins time and time again. She sighs and leans her head on her knees, wrapping her arms around them. Maybe she should go out less? But what if she misses her breakthrough?

Her thoughts are interrupted by someone shouting her name. She crawls to the edge of the cave and peers down. Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Flek?" She calls out. How did he find her?

Her brother looks up at the sound of his name. "Can I come up?"

Lorea nods but quickly realizes he can't see that. "Yes, of course," she moves back inside and waits for her brother.

It doesn't take long before his black mop of hair appears followed by the rest of Flek. He stands up and whistles in appreciation. "Quite a nice place you've got here."

Lorea merely shrugs. Yes, the cave is quite large and strategically placed, but what has that to do with why he's here.

He awkwardly coughs and sit down across the fire. "Not in the mood for small talk, not surprising," he shifts and turns to her. "Look Lorea I'm sorry."

Those words surprise her she frowns at him in confusion. She can't remember the last time he has apologized to her.

He smiles ruefully. "I mean it I'm really sorry. Instead of helping you, I hindered you. I wanted to you to stay safe. Now I see that isn't the right way of going at it. I can't stop you so I will give you something to aid you instead," he reaches next to him and hands her the weapons she hadn't noticed until just now.

"Axes?" She questions. She swings the two weapons testing their speed and weight. They're light in weight and well balanced. Even though she hasn't held one before she can tell they're well made.

He nods and looks at his fumbling fingers in his lap. "I have found them a lot easier to handle than a spear, but of course that can be just in my case," he clears his throat and scratches the top of his head.

A smile lights up Lorea's face. "Flek, I love them! Thank you so much!" She stands up and launches herself at her brother, tackling him in a hug. They remain lying, Lorea with her head on his chest and Flek with his arms around her. "You know I'm sorry as well," she pauses a beat before continuing. "For worrying you and everything."

Flek sits up thereby taking Lorea with him. "It's fine I need to learn to live with the fact that you go outside. We live in a dangerous world after all."

Lorea sighs and sits at the entrance of the cave, legs dangling over the edge. "Tell me about it." She feels her brothers clothes brush against her own, but keeps her gaze on the night sky. No clouds trouble the stars tonight, leaving their twinkling lights in full view. The sound of the waterfall and the cold fresh air makes the serene night perfect. "But it's not all bad." She smiles happy and content, with a feeling of wonder blooming in her chest at the sight of the stars. To her, there is something magical about them.

Flek smiles and cranes his head up as well. "You're absolutely right."


	2. a ghostly white brother

A glare full of judgement and resentment is sent Lorea's way. One she's used to, but still anger rises up inside her belly. She sets her jaw and her muscles tense up. With a scowl she continues to stomp her way up the mountain. The nerve of some people. 

As soon as she sees the state her parents are in, she once again is left angry and disappointed. Her mother lies knocked out on the floor, ungraciously snoring. While her father mumbles something under his breath, head dropped on his arm still clutching an empty mug in his hand. The last of many she can assume. 

She releases a frustrated sigh and with a frown couches down beside her mother. "Mother, wake up!" She shouts at her, but it doesn't seem to help, so Lorea moves on to the next tactic. She lightly slaps her in the face. The older Nora stirs slightly before dropping back in her hazed slumber. Lorea rakes her hand through her hair and merely stares. She takes a moment to take a deep calming breath. 

She doesn't see the fellow Nora approaching her from behind. "You look like you need a hand," the blonde states, a kind smile on her face. 

The explorer jumps up and twists around, coming face to face with Talara. Despite the dark bags underneath her eyes and the many strands of her pale blonde hair escaping her braid, the young woman still manages to make Lorea's heart beat just a bit faster. 

The teenager clears her throat and stands, coming face to face with the blonde. "That would be nice, thank you." She smiles, red dusting her cheeks. She tells herself it's because she's embarrassed about her parents, even though them being like this is nothing new. 

She wakes her father and although he's disoriented and unsteady on his feet he can walk. Lorea orders him to go home with a strained smile on her face. Now for her mother. Both Lorea and Talara lift an arm on their shoulders and with their strength combined they heave the unconscious woman of the ground. She's dragged through the streets like a dead weight, unresponsive and unaware. 

People glance at them, but with the respected Talara around they don't give the explorer any nasty glares. That little fact makes her roll her eyes. Sometimes she wonders why she's still here. 

They arrive at Lorea's house where her father is being dragged inside by Flek. A small puddle of vomit stains the ground in front of their house. The sour smell hits Lorea full on and she flinches. Flek hurries over and takes Talara's place. 

"Thank you," Lorea calls over her shoulder while she and Flek brace themselves to get their mother through the door opening. 

The blonde smiles. "You're welcome, may All Mother watch over you."

It takes a bit of struggling to get her through the door with Lorea tripping over her mother's feet and Flek suddenly having to carry both their weights. With a bang she hits her head against the doorpost, she groans and cradles her head. 

"Lorea, hurry," he huffs urgently, his muscles straining and protesting. 

The teen manages to get herself back up and slings their mother's arm back over her shoulder. "Sorry," she mutters as they unceremoniously drop her in a bed with less care than they should. They're too annoyed to think about that though. 

Lorea slumps down on once side of the room while Flek does the same on the other side. She rakes her hand through her hair and sighs. "I wish they would change," she mutters under her breath. Her hand drops back into her lap and that's when she notices the stream of warm liquid trickling down her face. The very same that stains her fingertips red.

Flek looks up at her words and is startled by the blood. "Lorea, you're bleeding," he says, his hands trembling while all the color drains from his face.

The explorer springs up and scoffs. "Really? I hadn't noticed," she answers, her tone flat. Her hands rummage through her bag as she searches for a piece of cloth. Soon she finds one and presses it against her bleeding head. 

She turns back to her brother, leaning her back against the wall. Flek is frozen on the spot his face still a ghostly white. She raises her eyebrows at the sight. "Don't tell me you are the one who needs medical attention."

Her brother gulps and shakes his head. "No I will be fine," he exhales a trembling breath. "Just make sure to get that blood out of here."

Lorea smirks at her distressed brother. All that because of a little blood. "Okay, I will," she walks over to the door. "Don't faint while I'm gone," with a playful wink and knowing that he'll be fine eventually she takes off to the healers. 

On her way she spots a very interesting person on the other side of the street. An idea pops up into her head and with a polite smile she goes over to the Nora in question. "Varl," she calls out when she's near enough. 

The male looks up at the sound of his voice and smile lights up his face. "Lorea, how are you?" he asks but his smile falls when he sees the blood. "Never mind that, you are going to the Healers I hope. Do you want me to accompany you?" 

"No, I will be fine, but someone might need your help."

He gives her a confused look, clearly not getting it yet.

She sighs. "Does a certain Nora who's not great with blood, ring any bells?"

His muscles tense ready to run as fast as he can. "Oh no, Flek is the worst with blood," he gives her a quick look before taking off. "Be safe!" He calls over his shoulder.

Lorea continues her way smiling. Flek is either going to love or hate her when she gets back. She's just glad to see someone beside herself care about him.

~

It doesn't take too long before Lorea is back to their house, with a healing salve sticking her bangs to her forehead and a frown on her face. She hates going to the Healers. All their questions and the constant amount of attention. She would much rather do it herself. 

As soon as she walks away though her frown melts away and a smile takes its place. Varl and Flek are fast asleep holding each other as if they're afraid one of them might disappear. Flek's hair sticks up in the oddest angles, much like her owns does when she takes her hand through it. They seem peaceful and content, something she's glad that he has found. 

She quietly tiptoes around them and grabs her bag. With one glance back, she's back outside taking off to her own safe place or something close to it. 

The explorer is outside the fence in no time and immediately her shoulders relaxes as she takes in a deep breath. How she loves it out here. She spares the loud and stuffy settlement one last nasty look before walking away. 

With ease and directions of Orby she makes quick work of going from Mother's Heart to her cave. The orb and the girl chat on the way. She fills him in on the recent happenings, since he doesn't experience much from inside her bag. It does make her feel guilty, but he understands that nothing good will come of him being outside her bag. It's such a big risk that she even takes him into Mother's Heart at all. 

They arrive in the clearing and Lorea makes quick work of the climb. Now that she's not freezing and it's still light out, it proves to be a lot easier. Still she's breathing heavy at the end and sweat rolls down her back.

Inside she throws her bag to one side and fetches some firewood from the other. Soon a warm fire is burning and she grabs her last project which has, to her own disappointment, nothing to do with the Old Ones or the machines. Instead she takes out a needle and thread and starts to sew. Since her mother isn't capable she took it upon herself to make Flek's lantern. She hopes he will appreciate the effort, since her sewing isn't the best or the neatest. The Proving will be soon and she would rather be at the mercy of the Metal Devil, than leave Flek embarrassed and disappointed at the Blessing ceremony.


	3. a brother in love

"Flek, I'm going to kill you!" Lorea sprints out of the water, completely soaked from head to toe, straight at her brother who's doubled over from laughing. As soon as her words register though, he runs as fast as he can, praying to All Mother that he will survive the wrath of his sister. He probably shouldn't have pushed her into the water, but it was too perfect not to.

He passes by a bewildered looking Varl and an even more confused Vala, since she doesn't get the 'pleasure' of dealing with the other pair of siblings often. After the initial shock has faded Varl merely shakes his head in amusement. Those two are something else. 

As they settle in on the river bank Lorea finally catches up to Flek. She tackles him to the ground and whacks him on the back of head. "Do you have any idea what I was carrying in my pocket? Weeks of work washed away, literally!" 

The older sibling mumbles something under his breath. He attempts to get her off, by pushing himself up but his stubborn sister isn't going anywhere. With a sigh he relents. "Fine, I'm sorry," he looks up at her to the best of his ability. "We good now?" 

"Ugh fine, but only because your boyfriend is waiting. I will never be able to consciously make him unhappy." She stands up and slowly makes her way over to Vala and Varl. It doesn't take long for Flek to pass her and attempt not to look too desperate to get to his boyfriend. It doesn't work. The two males greet each other with a quick kiss and sit down to chat. 

Lorea reaches Vala and sits down beside her, throwing a warm fur around her shoulders to protect her wet clothes. Together they look out at the water, hair ruffling in the soft breeze. It's a peaceful afternoon the sun is bright and warm, the water cold but refreshing and the snacks Vala brought delicious and plenty. A content sigh leaves Lorea's lips, it's not often that she can relax and right now is as close to being fully relaxed as she can be. Some nagging feeling in the back of her head will always be there to remind her of all the things that could possibly go wrong, but she's a professional at ignoring it. 

It's not long before the last of the group reaches them. Bast joins them followed closely by Talara and Teb. Talara is fully dressed in her hunting attire, while Teb only carries a simple bow with a few basic arrows. 

The teen can't help, but wonder what they're doing here. Talara sees her questioning look and clarifies: "Teb needs Boar hides and I'm helping hunt and Bast was headed in the same direction."

Lorea nods in response. With that question answered it doesn't take her mind long to focus on other matters.

Talara turns to Bast and puts her hands on his shoulders. "Don't be a complete turd and don't die," she instructs her little brother, searching his eyes for conformation. After three heartbeats of silence and her not letting him go Bast sighs and mumbles an 'ok'. With that taken care of Talara and Teb wave and take their leave. 

"So," Bast starts dragging out the word. "Want to do something fun?" 

"Sure," Vala replies and springs up. "You coming as well?" She asks Lorea.

The explorer looks up and shakes her head, bringing up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "No, you two go ahead I prefer to stay here." 

"Your loss," Bast replies before taking off to the waterfall with Vala. 

Lorea lies back down and closes her eyes. She hears the waterfall rushing down and the wind rustling the leaves. She can smell the plant life around her and the scent of freshly roasted Boar. A loud growl comes from her stomach. And there went the peaceful moment. She pushes herself up and rummages through the bag of snacks. 

"Lovebirds!" She yells to attract their attention. "Do you guys want food as well?" 

Varl yells something of confirmation back while Lorea continues to stall out the food. The two mates join her and she gives them a quick smile before going back to the food. She chooses to start with some sweet berries. Keeping the crispy baked turkey in her mind for later.

While munching on them she notices Vala and Bast standing on top of the waterfall. With a whoop of delight Vala jumps first, diving into the water in a graceful bow. Bast however pulls his knees to his chest and lands with a big splash. They resurface and emerge from the water, shivering as soon as their skin touches the air. Although the sun is bright and it's unusually warm for this time of the year, it's still the Sacred Lands, warm isn't something that's the norm here. 

"Varl, do you want to go as well?" Flek asks, eyes shining with excitement and extending his hand. Although the other male doesn't particularly like the idea of jumping into the cold water, he can't say no to that face. He takes it with a bright smile on his face and the two are off. 

"I can't believe they will be Braves soon," Vala comments. She sits down beside Lorea and picks up a turkey leg. 

"Well I for one can't wait for out turn and to win," Bast proudly announces as he sit down as well.

That makes Vala snort. "Don't ever celebrate a victory before it's won," she turns to Lorea next. "Are you going to run?"

The explorer shrugs. "Ask me again in two years."

That's when she notices an old lady coming their way and not just some old lady a Matriarch. Immediately she jumps up and meets her halfway, with a big smile on her face. "Grandmother," she greets the woman, who pulls her into a hug. In response she smiles and clings to her, deeply inhaling the scent only her grandmother seems to carry around. One of fresh herbs and something sweet. The two Nora release each other and the Matriarch does a once over, checking her granddaughter for any changes. 

"I assume Flek is preoccupied," the old Nora notes with a twinkle in her keen eyes.

Lorea nods with a grin. "Very occupied. Although they should be back soon."

"With those two soon might take a while," Vala comments, wiping her wet hair out of her face and wrapping her cloth tighter around herself. "Matriarch Jia," she greets with a respectful nod.

The grandmother and granddaughter sit back down and keep an eye on the waterfall. While waiting the Matriarch strikes up a conversation with Vala, giving Lorea's mind the perfect opportunity to wander. As it does often, it wanders to the Old Ones and the clue she was able to gather yesterday. It seemed like a key of sorts. She's still dying to know what it opens, but now she will never know as it fell out of her pocket because of a certain brother who pushed her into the water. Weeks of work gone! She cares about him, but sometimes she has the strong urge to dump a pile of boar dung on his head. 

Speaking of her brother. He and Varl have reached the jump point and are staring down into the water. Flek squeezes Varl's hand and grins up at him, eyes shining bright. He returns the smile, although with less enthusiasm. He feels his stomach churn uneasily.

"Flek, I don't know if I can do this," he says, voice wavering.

He frowns. "We can go back down if you really don't want to," he gives his boyfriend a sweet smile. "I'm with you whatever you choose." 

Varl swallows and looks down. The water is below, way too far below, making his stomach tightens into knots. He doesn't want to, but he can't go back down. He would never forgive himself if he wouldn't do it. 

After taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, or attempt to, he focuses on those enchanting brown eyes. "I want to, but give me a moment." He leans their foreheads together and closes his eyes, focusing on his breathing. Flek holds both his hands and gives them a squeeze. He's not alone, he can do this. After a long moment he opens his eyes. "Okay, lets get this over with."

Flek nods, smiles and presses a kiss to his lips. Without giving Varl a chance to think about it, he pulls him over the edge. Adrenaline takes over and their hearts soar. The freezing water comes as a shock, it surrounds them, yet Flek doesn't let go of his hand. He's very grateful for that, even if it makes swimming up slightly more difficult. They reach the shore and Varl looks back at the cliff. 

He smiles and breathes out a shaky breath. He pulls Flek in for a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispers. 

His mate hugs him back just as tight and presses a kiss to his shoulder. "Oh ugh, you smell like fish."

"It was your idea," he smiles and leans down for a kiss. 

Flek hums in satisfaction before pulling a face. "Taste like it as well." 

~

Lorea stares up at the ceiling. She's supposed to be sleeping, but here she is pondering. It was great seeing grandmother again, still she can't help wondering what she and Flek talked about. It looked so serious. 

"Lorea, are you awake?" Flek calls out from somewhere on her right. 

She nods. Oh, right he can't see that. "Yes."

"Do you think I have a chance of winning?"

She frowns at his tone, so fragile and unsure. She turns on her side and faces his general direction. "You're great at everything you do, so yes I think you can win." 

He smiles and breathes a sigh of relief. "Good."

"What do you want to ask them?" 

"For a chance to go beyond the Sacred Land."

"Wait what?" Lorea bolts upright. 

Flek hears the rustling of her sitting up right and follows her example. "I just can't imagine that this is all there is I want to see more of the world."

"And here I thought we had agreed that I was the dreamer," she says and chuckles. "If you do go out there promise to tell me all about it when you come back."

"Duhh," he replies. "Goodnight, Lorea."

"Goodnight, Flek."


	4. a brother’s proving

The lanterns glow in the dark night as they rise higher and higher. The aspirants crane their necks to watch them go. Among them are Varl and Flek. They're both smiling, their hands clasped together and with their hearts full. The calm before the upcoming Proving. 

Flek mumbles something to Varl and makes his way over to Lorea. She's standing all the way to the back and upon seeing him approach, pushes herself off the wall she was leaning against. Her whole posture changes from wary and tense to something more relaxed. She's about to say something but her brother merely wraps his arms around her. 

"Thank you," he murmurs against her shoulder. Tears prick behind his eyes, but he doesn't let them spill.

"Sewing isn't my strong suit, but I did my best," she mumbles back. 

He lets go and smiles. "It was perfect."

She fumbles with a loose thread and smiles as well, although hers is directed at her feet. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Now are you ready for some dancing?" 

Her face falls. She frantically shakes her head, slowly backing away. "No no no. I'll leave the dancing to you and Varl. I have other things to take care of. Have fun you two!" With that she rushes away, disappearing into the crowd streaming down the mountain. She weaves through the Nora's avoiding elbows and excited hand gestures. Loud conversations surround her, all jolly and cheerful and some slightly incomprehensible because the person had too much to drink.

She spots her parents happily drinking their problems away as usual. The small amount of hope she had, that they would at least get their act together on this day dwindles into nothingness. They're not worth even another glance.

The smell of boar stew wafts up from a nearby fire. Her stomach growls and she hesitates. Standing in line for food and having to deal with her fellow Nora or ignoring the delicious smell and lock herself inside her house. 

"Lorea, fancy a bowl of stew?" The blonde smiles at her and the decision is made. 

While Talara prepares a bowl of stew for another Nora, Lorea takes the time to inspect her change in appearance. Her hair freely flows down her shoulders, with two small braids tying her hair back and out of her face. Instead of her heavy hunting clothes she's wearing something lighter and quite casual. To the explorer this is the most intriguing Talara has ever looked. 

"Here." The blonde holds out a bowl of stew. Lorea wraps her hands around it and smiles a thank you. That's all she can manage when Talara is looking at her like she's doing. With red dusting her cheeks and a small smile on her face she enters her home. She shakes her head and rids her mind of any distractions.

"Orbs, you there?" She calls out in the dimly lit room. 

He beeps in response and a soft blue light appears in the dark. Somewhere near her bed if she's right. She takes a bite of her stew and plucks him out of her bag. "Please say you managed to find it?" 

He chirps in response.

"Good we go tomorrow."

A short, high pitched beep comes from the orb.

"Yes, of course after we've wished Flek good luck," she takes another bite. "Now let's make a plan."

~

A chilly wind ruffles through the armor of the group of Nora's. The sun has barely reached the edge of the sky, it's rays paint the sky a soft pink with lines of purple streaking through it. 

The group of contestants are nervously gathered outside the gate of Mother's Heart. Flek and Varl stand near the back whispering to each other and sharing an uneasy smile. There atmosphere is tense with an underlying tone of excitement at the prospect of winning the Proving. A brave overlooking the process gathers them so they can leave for the trail. 

Before they could get to that, a frazzled looking Nora comes rushing out of the gates. When she reaches the group they all notices the frustrated expression on her face. Everyone is glad they're not on the other end of that glare, except for Flek who, in fact, is the one who has to deal with it. 

Lorea looks up at her brother and even though she's a head shorter than he is, she manages to make him flinch. "You promised you would wake me this morning!" 

Flek sheepishly smiles. "Yes, well I got very distracted." As he says this his eyes trail off to the side and land on his beautiful mate. The early morning light flares up behind him and his hair flutters in the wind. An enchanting smile lifts up Varl's lips and Flek gets sucked into the endless pool that are his eyes. The very same eyes that greeted him this morning and those very same lips he kissed over and over again between softly whispered words. 

With a huff she let's go of her frustration. She might not always say it but she cares a great deal about her brother, especially about the relationship he shares with Varl. "Try not to forget next time. I'll see you tonight, don't die."

Although she says it casually and tries to keep her emotions out of it her brother knows her better than that. He pulls her into a hug, much to her dismay, but she accepts it nonetheless with burning cheeks. "Until tonight."

The Brave clears her throat. She might have been entertained by the sight of the two siblings and reminded of her own bond with her sister, but the Proving must go on. Without another word they leave for the tough challenge that lies ahead.

Lorea watches them go and when they've disappeared from her sight, she takes off. The fresh morning air fills her lungs and the trees stretch out around her. Slowly she's able to shake of the regular daily troubles and embrace the freedom of the sacred lands. 

Until someone yells her name. 

She turns around to see Vala coming to a stop before her. The girl looks impeccable as always and has a bright smile on her face. 

"Whew you're fast," Vala starts while she looks back at the distance she just ran. "I came over to ask if you wanted to come to a party with me." 

"Uhm, what?" She hadn't expected that at all.

The other Nora did not hear her answer and rambles on. "It's just a small gathering of a few people our age," she pauses for a reaction. "Oh, and Bast will be there," she adds as if that would make the offer of going to a place filled with people sound more tempting.

"I uh, wish I could but I'm busy, sorry."

"That's not a problem at all." Vala turns to leave. "Good luck with whatever you're doing and you'll be missed." With that and a wave she leaves.

She snorts and continues the long trek ahead. "You heard that Orbs? I will be missed."

Yeah sure as if.

~

The sun is high up in the sky when she arrives back at the ruin all the way up in the mountains where she originally found the key. Which she lost because of Flek when he pushed her into the water. No matter how much she cares about him, she often has the urge to dump boar dung on his head. 

She shakes off her irritation and looks up at the looming metal doors before them. Of course because she herself has no idea how to open them she turns to Orby. "Can you do it?"

He beeps his answer.

"What! Why does it take that long? It wasn't like that last time." She frustratedly rakes her hand through her hair and begins pacing up and down. 

Orby beeps and klicks in response. 

She comes to a halt and glares at the orb. "You say it's my fault while you're the one who pointed me the way to the key!"

Apparently they had triggered an alarm the last time they went into the ruin and the orb blames it all on Lorea. 

He stubbornly stays silent.

"Don't ignore me and act like what I'm saying isn't true."

A short beeps is all that comes.

"Fine! I'm wrong. Can you open the door now?" A thin wire extends from somewhere inside Orby and he connects himself to the door's system. A yellow light shines from between his cracks as he starts to break through the security.

"Thank you, Orbs. I wouldn't know what to do without you." His light changes to a soft blue and she smiles softly. 

While Orby does his thing Lorea does hers. She makes herself comfortable with a warm fur and grabs a flat round disc from her bag and starts to tinker with it. Multiple tiny tools appears out of her bag as she works to open the device. 

Machines walk in the distance scrapping metal from their downed carcasses of their own kind. A cold wind blows through the field, making snow fly up and slowly scatter back down again. A bunny passes by in the corner of her eyes, shortly catching her attention before it disappears. 

She locks a tool into place and hums a melody while cracking it open. Tiny gears and wires fill the inside and as if she's done this many times before she cuts a few wires loose, followed by dislocating a few gears. A shiny core reveals itself, reflecting into her dark eyes that shimmer from glee and excitement. 

It's been a while since she has really experimented like this.

With her axes on one side of her and the strangely glowing core on the other side, she sets off onto the next phase of her projected. She connects wire after wire on her axe, creating veins of blue and red down the sides. She molds the soft metal, of the now empty device into a small shape, the exact size of the core and connects it to a few wires. 

The last part of her projected is the one she's most scared of and it needs to be done exactly right. If it will go wrong her eyebrows will be scorched off again. She doesn't care about her appearance much, but she likes her eyebrows right where they are.

She grabs a small flat tool and a hammer with just the right amount of weight and lines them up above the core. She exhales a shuddering breath and steadies her trembling hands. She squints her eyes and moves around until she has found the right angle. 

She brings the hammer down.

A bright light consumes the surrounding area. Only for a second and then it's gone. Lorea furiously blinks the spots in her vision away and grabs her face to check for any burns. 

"See that Orbs my eyebrows survived!" She falls back in the snow and laughs away the stress, so relief can flood her system. 

A small series of beeps comes from the orb and Lorea bolts back upright. 

"Oh, I can't let you finish first this time!" And with that she gets to work again. One half of the core goes onto her axe while the other is attached to a glove. 

"Ok, here we go," she throws her axe down into the snow and holds out her hand. "This has to work, right?"

Orby quickly replies.

"I like those odds."

She breaths in, closes her eyes, breathes out and charges the glove with the press of a button. The two core halves react. The axe hurls towards her. Where it lands right into her hand with a heavy thunk. 

Lorea's eyes widen and she turns to her best friend. "Did you see that! It worked!" She pumps her first into the air. "It actually worked!" 

An alarm goes off and with a hiss the metal doors behind her open. Orby disconnects and she picks him back up and gathers her stuff. With an excited grin and feeling euphoric from her successful experiment she takes her first step into the ruin. 

Stale air greets her nose as she walks further and further into the darkness. Silence overwhelms her, only to be broken by her own careful footsteps. The last time she visited these ruins it didn't end too well. She prays to All Mother that it won't happen again. 

The last of the light streaming in from the entrance disappears as she rounds the corner. Unease settles in her stomach. "Orbs, a light please?" He complies and his blue light fills the hallway. Every step takes her further away from daylight and closer to where she longs to be. 

A mechanical groan that stops Lorea right in her tracks comes from down the hallway. "Can you see what it is?" She whispers.

Orby's light shines brighter before dimming again and he replies with an answer that chills Lorea to the bones. 

"Where?" 

An eerie silence is followed by a whispered whistle from Orby. After a deep breath she continues to go down the hallway. She takes slow careful steps with her axes raised high. Her heartbeat rises higher and higher. So fast that she's afraid it will burst out of her chest. Sweat coats her palms where she holds the hilts with a knuckle white grip.

Another clang can be heard in the distance.

Followed by another.

And another.

They become more rapid and more frantic. 

Something is coming closer. 

It appears at the edge of the circle of light surrounding her. A man waving and shouting for her to run. In a daze she follows him. Behind her the ceiling collapses. The rock grinding the metal, that supported it for years, into powder. Dust springs up and fills their lungs, causing heavy coughs to wreck through Lorea's body.

They arrive at a division. One hallway stretches on straight forward and another to the left. The stranger moves to go straight, but Orby urgently whistles for the other way. "Sir, we have to go this way!" Confused the man looks at her and sees the fear reflected in her eyes. He nods and follows her. Orby leads the way the crashing growing more distant, until it completely stops. 

Coughing Lorea sucks un big gulps of air and collapses against the wall. 

Almost dying was not on her to do list for today. 

She turns to the stranger before her and while still out of breath her curiosity spikes up. "Sir, who are you?"

He looks up in surprise as if he almost forget she was even there. Perhaps he isn't used to being accompanied at all. "Me? I'm Sparrow," he extends his hand, which she only stares at. What is she supposed to do with his hand? "And girl who might you be?"

She carefully eyes Sparrow. He wears a long coat, in a color she can't quite make out in Orby's pale light. All she can tell it's dark, but lighter than his skin. His braided hair is white from the dust, but she can tell it's usually much darker than that. He wears a satchel filled to the brim with who knows what.

"Lorea a Nora, which you're not."

"No, I most certainly am not a Nora. I'm from beyond the mountains. Do you know the Sundom?"


End file.
